Married at First Sight star Melanie Schilling has been diagnosed with colon cancer.
The dating coach, 51, took to Instagram to share the heartbreaking news with her followers on Tuesday (December 19). Alongside a photo of Mel embracing her husband Gareth Brisbane, 51, and their eight-year-old daughter Madison, she wrote: “‘YOU HAVE CANCER’ Three little words that everyone dreads but no one ever expects to hear.”
Mel continued: “Last Thursday my consultant told me those 3 words.” The psychologist recalled visiting the doctor after suffering stomach cramps while filming MAFS Australia.
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“About a month ago when I was filming in Australia I developed severe stomach cramps on set, I put it down to all the travel I’d been doing and the upset it caused to my system,” she said. “I saw my GP in Sydney and he put it down to constipation, gave me some laxatives and sent me on my way.”
(Image: mel_schilling1/Instagram)
Despite the doctor’s lack of concern, Mel was certain there was more to it and booked a scan when she returned to the UK. The star added: “On Thursday I was told I had colon cancer and in an instant my whole life changed.”
The TV personality was meant to be travelling to Northern Ireland to spend Christmas with her loved ones, but revealed she will instead be checking into a hospital tomorrow morning for an operation. “I’m checking in to hospital to have an operation to remove a 5cm tumour in my colon, a tumour that had it gone undetected for much longer would have killed me,” she told her followers.
(Image: Matt Monfredi / Channel 4)
Despite the devastating situation, Mel admitted to feeling “incredibly blessed” as her cancer is “relatively easy to eradicate”. She explained that while she is expected to make a full recovery, she faces a “rough road ahead”.
Mel went on: “I also feel so lucky to have an incredible support network around me, both personally and professionally, my own family and my TV family have been amazing this past few days.”
(Image: @mel_schilling1/Instagram)
The reality star confirmed she will be spending Christmas Day in hospital. “It will be so tough to spend Xmas Day in hospital instead of being surrounded by family but getting rid of Terry (what I’ve named my tumour) will be the best present of all,” she said.
Mel signed off the post urging her followers to seek medical treatment if something isn’t right. She said: “I just wanted to finish by saying that if something doesn’t feel right, please, please don’t ignore it and if you don’t think the answers you have got are right, keep going until you do, it might just save your life.”
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
